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Romanian Environ Min Checks Only Environment Aspects In Govt Decisions On Lease Contracts

Romanian Environment Ministry only checked the environment aspects in the appendix of the Black Sea reserves lease contract, according to the law, without knowing the nature of the contract, former environment minister Korodi Attila stated Wednesday.
Romanian Environ Min Checks Only Environment Aspects In Govt Decisions On Lease Contracts
04 feb. 2009, 15:57, English

The International Court of Justice at The Hague drew Tuesday a new maritime border between Romania and Ukraine, settling a four decade-old dispute. The ruling gives Romania 9,700 square kilometers of exclusive economic zone, accounting for 79.34% of the 12,000 sq km disputed surface.

The court’s decision triggered discussions related to the lease of certain Black Sea perimeters to Sterling Resources company, based on a decision adopted on November 12, 2008 by the former government.

Mircea Geoana, the Senate Speaker and the president of Romania’s Social Democratic Party, part of the current ruling coalition, said Wednesday the Government should clear up the secret Black Sea reserves lease granted at the end of the former government’s mandate, as "there is a share of doubt on the rights of the Romanian state regarding exploitation”.

The head of the industries commission in the Chamber of Deputies, Iulian Iancu, asked Romania’s Mineral Resources Agency ANRM and the Finance Ministry to justify the former government’s decision to transfer to Sterling Resources the right to distribute the production of the Black Sea oil and gas reserves assigned by contract.

Iancu added that the government’s decision allows Sterling Resources to own Romania’s share of production in the project, but the documents are secret, included in the appendix.